Scottish Health and Inequalities Impact Assessment Network

A cacophony of assessments

– but where is health?

Dr Margaret Douglas

Scottish Health and Inequalities Impact

Assessment Network

October 2015

Scottish Health and Inequalities Impact Assessment Network

A residential development

• How will it affect health of people living nearby?

• How will design affect health of new residents?

• How can you judge?

Scottish Health and Inequalities Impact Assessment Network

Noise

Social capital

Water quality

Flood risk

Air quality

Perceived control

Loss of amenity

Community participation

Employment

Identity

Walkability

Severance

Sense of place

Perceived status

Services

Traffic

Warmth and energy

efficiency

Housing affordability

Access to play facilities

Scottish Health and Inequalities Impact Assessment Network

Scottish Health and Inequalities Impact Assessment Network

Scottish planning priorities

• The Scottish Government’s central purpose is to achieve a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish through sustainable economic growth.

• NPF 3 themes: – A successful sustainable place

– A low carbon place

– A natural, resilient place

– A connected place

Scottish Health and Inequalities Impact Assessment Network

Scottish Health and Inequalities Impact Assessment Network

Strategic Environmental

Assessment

• EU regulations, national guidance

• Plans, policies, strategies

• Either in-house or commissioned

• Population and Human Health

• But often defined narrowly

• Consultation Authority for health is SEPA – focus on risks from air, water, soil pollution

• Often poor on differential impacts

Scottish Health and Inequalities Impact Assessment Network

SEA of NPF3

• Notes spatial nature of deprivation and impact on health

• Identifies as key health issues: – Planning for population change – flood risk,

access, public transport

– Physical environmental quality

– Outdoor recreation

– Access to services in remote rural areas

– Location, layout and building design

• Has 2 SEA objectives for PHH

Scottish Health and Inequalities Impact Assessment Network

Equality Impact Assessment

• UK Equality Act

• Required for public bodies only

• Each organisation develops own guidance

• Usually in-house

• Differences by ‘Protected Characteristics’:

• Age, Disability, Gender, Maternity, Sexual orientation, Race, Religion – but not socio-economic status

Scottish Health and Inequalities Impact Assessment Network

Human Rights Impact Assessment

• UK Human Rights Act - Impact assessment not specified but increasingly used by public bodies

• Public bodies design own approach

• Often integrated into EQIA

• Often assess against articles in European Convention of Human Rights

• PANEL – participation, accountability, non- discrimination, empowerment, legality

Scottish Health and Inequalities Impact Assessment Network

Chief Planner’s advice on HIA

‘The Scottish Government has no current intentions of putting Health Impact Assessments on a statutory footing .....

.... A number of planning authorities have, quite understandably, expressed concern about the challenges in implementing the new planning system. The introduction of Health Impact Assessments can only add to those challenges.’

Letter to all Heads of Planning in 2008

Scottish Health and Inequalities Impact Assessment Network

Environmental Assessment

• Specific project types

• EU regulations/ national guidance

• Usually commissioned

• Population – includes ‘effect of emissions, noise etc on health’

• Fauna and flora

• Soil, Water, Air

• Material assets

• Landscape

Scottish Health and Inequalities Impact Assessment Network

One application many

assessments…

• Transport

• Noise

• Air quality

• Flood risk

• Ecological

• Archaeology

• Sustainability statement

• Tree removal plan

Scottish Health and Inequalities Impact Assessment Network

Scottish Health and Inequalities Impact Assessment Network

Advice on bats, buildings and

burns…

• But no formal consultation authority for

human health

Scottish Health and Inequalities Impact Assessment Network

West Lothian Supplementary

Planning Guidance on HIA

• Introduced in 2008

• Followed an HIA of a large

residential application

• Requires HIA of range of

applications

• 1 HIA since 2008, limited evidence

and no recommendations

• Uncertainty about how to appraise/

who to consult

Scottish Health and Inequalities Impact Assessment Network

A Planner’s Life

Potential

appeal

Community

interests

Developer

interests

SG

requirements

Local policy

requirements

Delivery of

housing

land

Time to

decision -

targets

Scottish Health and Inequalities Impact Assessment Network

Abundant guidance and

requirements

Scottish Health and Inequalities Impact Assessment Network

Scottish Health and Inequalities Impact Assessment Network

‘We ask about those things

already – we just don’t call them

health’

does this matter?

Scottish Health and Inequalities Impact Assessment Network

Overall…

• At policy level, focus is on promoting economic

growth

• Applications have many relevant assessments

… but links to health not highlighted

• And other health determinants not considered

• Planning policy and planning applications need

different approaches